The Customer Opinion category recognizes companies that deliver exceptional customer service.
Winner: American Express
Category: Customer Opinion
Headquarters: New York
Year Est.: 1850
No. of Employees in AZ: 7,073
Recent Award: Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Companies – 2010
www.americanexpress.com | Facebook | Twitter
video by Sonoran Studios
American Express prides itself on understanding and fulfilling the customers’ needs, and then using the knowledge gained by each interaction to improve the company. One way American Express does this is by calling employees at their service centers “Customer Care Professionals.” They aren’t just service representatives; they are professionals who are the face and voice of American Express. The employees understand that when they take a call, they aren’t just providing cards for payments — they are helping customers achieve their goals, live out their passions and get through tough situations. American Express has delivered customer care from medical evacuations to replacing stolen cards anywhere at anytime to creating unique experiences for customers.
American Express welcomes customer feedback to help create a better, more customer-friendly company. At American Express, a call is not a transaction; it’s an opportunity to create a better relationship with the customer. Customer relationships also have been strengthened by American Express’ hiring technique. The company attracts employees from the retail, sales and hospitality industries who know how to create an environment that fosters strong customer service.
In its 160 years, the company’s core values have instilled a sense of pride in its employees. The employees’ pride in what they do transfers to the customer during their conversations. For three consecutive years, from 2007-2009, J.D. Power and Associates has named American Express highest in customer satisfaction among credit card issuers. American Express also was one of Fortune Magazine’s Most Admired Companies.
Finalist: Grant Thornton
Category: Customer Opinion
Headquarters: Chicago
Year Est.: 2004 (in AZ)
No. of Employees in AZ: 73
Recent Award: Arizona Women’s Top 25 Workplaces for Women – 2009
www.grantthornton.com | Facebook | Twitter
The “Grant Thornton Client Experience” demonstrates the company’s commitment to professional excellence. Employees strive to understand and exceed clients’ expectations, deliver high-quality service, provide valuable ideas and recommendations, show a personalized focus, and provide value. All branches of Grant Thornton strive to exceed their clients’ expectations, but the Phoenix office exceeded the company’s expectations in 2009. Grant Thornton uses a third-party vendor to ask its key clients to evaluate the company’s performance and the client’s service experience. In the audit and tax sections, the Phoenix office scored more than the 8.5 out of the 10 mark the company set as its target goal.
In addition to the Phoenix office exceeding the company’s goal, Grant Thornton has won national honors, including being on the Companies that Care Honor Roll from 2005-2009. In 2009, Grant Thornton was on Working Mother Magazine’s Top Ten Companies list.
Finalist: Sonora Quest Laboratories
Category: Customer Opinion
Headquarters: Tempe
Year Est.: 1997
No. of Employees in AZ: 1,750
Recent Award: Arizona Corporate Excellence Award – 2009
www.bannerhealth.com
Sonora Quest Laboratories’ vision is to be “the trusted leader in diagnostic testing and information services.” This vision shows the company’s focus on the customer, whether it be patients, health care professionals or payer groups. The Patient Care Gold Standard, a poster with 17 standards of care, hangs at each service center to reinforce excellent patient care.
Patients are surveyed by a third-party vendor at patient service centers, and this information is shared with employees to improve the patient experience. In the first quarter of 2010, Sonora Quest Laboratories achieved a 97 percent customer satisfaction rating from patients served at the patient service centers. Employees must commit to putting patient care first by signing the Phlebotomy Code of Conduct and the “Our Promise to Our Patients” packet. Sonora Quest Laboratories also shows its commitment to providing superior service and timely, accurate information to its health care clients by using quality tools and principles that improve productivity.
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